Putin told ‘Moscow will be wiped off map’ if he dares making one chilling move | World | News
Vladimir Putin was warned that “Moscow would be wiped off the map” if he attacked NATO with nuclear weapons. Belgian defense minister Theo Francken said he was not worried about Russian nuclear attacks while defending the strength and unity of the military alliance.
He said he believes Donald Trump is committed to NATO and its cornerstone Article 5, despite the US President’s previous claims that he will not defend countries that do not spend enough on their own defense. This comes amid ongoing tensions between the West and Russia over the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has stepped up its rhetoric, including thinly veiled nuclear threats, amid fears that the United States could supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
The issue has been described as Russia’s last red line in the war, but Mr Francken said NATO should ignore the warnings and continue supporting Kiev.
Speaking to a Belgian newspaper De MorgenHe said: “Putin said the same thing when Finland and Sweden joined NATO, when we provided tanks, missiles, F-16s… The lesson here is that we must not allow ourselves to be threatened.
“Initially, we only dared to fight back in Ukraine because we were afraid of Putin’s reaction. This only prolonged the war, because all our supply lines pass through Russia.
“You must attack them, as we eventually did. This was also a red line for Putin, but what did he do? Nothing. He knows: If I use nuclear weapons, they will wipe Moscow off the map. Then the end of the world will be near.”
Asked if he was concerned that the Russian president might launch a non-nuclear missile at the Belgian capital, he said “no” and said NATO would strike back and “destroy Moscow”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US Tomahawk procurement would be a “serious tension”, adding: “This is really a very dramatic moment in terms of increasing tensions from all sides.”
Meanwhile, Putin’s ally and former president Dmitry Medvedev gently waved the nuclear sword.
He said: “It has been said hundreds of times, in a way even the star-spangled man can understand, that it is impossible to tell a nuclear Tomahawk missile from a conventional missile in flight.
“The delivery of these missiles could end badly for everyone, and most importantly for Trump himself.”
There is no suggestion that the United States would supply Ukraine with Tomahawks equipped with nuclear warheads.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes weapons with a range of more than 1,500 miles could be a game changer in bringing the Russian President to the negotiating table.
Mr. Trump, increasingly frustrated with Putin, has so far resisted the calls.
